Department for Education

Pupils: Homelessness

Lord Laming: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to ensure that the 130,000 children of homeless families are receiving an education in school.

Baroness Barran: All children of compulsory school age, regardless of their circumstances, are entitled to a full-time education which is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs that they may have. The department consulted and implemented changes to the statutory School Admissions Code in 2021 to improve the in-year school admissions process and fair access protocols. Fair access protocols are the safety net to secure school places in-year for vulnerable and unplaced children, where the in-year admissions process fails. In those changes, the department identified a list of categories of children who are eligible for placement in fair access, which included children who are homeless. The school admissions code can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2.The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance expects schools, local authorities and partners to work with pupils and parents to remove any barriers to school attendance by building strong and trusting relationships, and working together to put the right support in place. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance. In all cases, schools should be sensitive and should avoid stigmatising pupils and parents. They should talk to pupils and parents to understand what they think would help improve their attendance. This allows individual approaches that meet an individual pupil’s specific needs.All schools should be calm, orderly, safe, and supportive environments where pupils can thrive and reach their potential in safety and dignity. Teachers know their pupils best and are in the best position to identify their needs and to plan which approaches will meet them most effectively.

Foundation Schools: Governing Bodies

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government which foundation bodies have been established under section 21 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government whichfoundation bodies established under section 21 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 have now closed.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government whichapplications for foundation body status made under the Education (Foundation Body) (England) Regulations 2000 have not resulted in the establishment of a foundation body.

Baroness Barran: The Department is only aware of one foundation body established under Section 21 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The Bourne Foundation was established as a body corporate in July 1999 under the Foundation Body Regulations 1999, which were in operation at the time. The Bourne Foundation was subsequently dissolved by Statutory Order, which came into force on 5 January 2017. There have been no applications for foundation body status made under the Education (Foundation Body) (England) Regulations 2000, which replaced the earlier 1999 regulations.

Erasmus+ Programme

Lord Kilclooney: To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding was received by Northern Ireland under the EU Erasmus programme in (1) 2014, (2) 2015, and (3) 2016.

Baroness Barran: Funding data has been published for the 2014-20 Erasmus+ programme by the British Council and Ecorys, who were acting as the UK National Agency. This data indicates that the amount of funding received by institutions in Northern Ireland for the years 2014, 2015, and 2016 was €6,336,885, €6,108,410 and €7,414,597 respectively.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Azerbaijan: Religious Freedom

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Azerbaijan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Embassy in Baku is able to have open discussions about religious freedom with Government representatives and has been in contact with Grand Mufti, the spiritual leader for both the Sunni and Shia communities in Azerbaijan, who occasionally meets with the Leader of the Armenian Church.

Nagorno-Karabakh: Humanitarian Situation

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh; and what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan that they should guarantee the security of (1) persons, (2) vehicles and (3) cargo, moving along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are increasingly alarmed by the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, exacerbated by the continued closure of the Lachin corridor. It is crucial that the ICJ order of February 2023 is respected to ensure unimpeded movement along the Lachin corridor in both directions. The UK Government has publicly highlighted the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor and addressing related humanitarian issues, including at the United Nations Security Council in New York on 16 August 2023 and at the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe in Vienna on 12 September 2023.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospect of a negotiated peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan that provides for the wellbeing and protection of the Karabakh Armenian population.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to raise the urgent need to resolve the conflict through negotiations in direct talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, as well as at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations Security Council. We urge both sides to redouble their efforts to make progress in internationally mediated negotiations, including by making provisions to protect the rights and security of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Alexei Navalny

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with government of Russia about its treatmentof Alexei Navalny; what was the outcome of those discussions; whether they have protested against the treatment of Mr Navalny; if not, whether they will now do so; and if not, why.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Alexei Navalny's politically motivated detention demonstrates Russia's increasing clampdown on freedom of expression and democratic rights. The UK will continue to make clear to Russia that it should release Mr Navalny immediately, as required by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights. HMG officials are in regular contact with Mr Navalny's team, and where possible, attend his court hearings. Following Mr Navalny's latest politically motivated sentence in August, the Foreign Secretary and Minister Docherty issued statements reiterating the call for his release. We will continue to seek opportunities for further statements in support of Mr Navalny.

North Korea: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that China has engaged in the refoulement of North Korean refugees; and what representations they have made to the government of China about the repatriation of North Korean refugees.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports of North Korean escapees detained in China. The UK actively promotes the implementation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. We emphasise directly to the Chinese authorities that they should not be detaining North Korean refugees with the intention of returning them to North Korea. At the 17 August UN Security Council meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK, the UK called on all states to abide by the principle of non-refoulement.

North Korea: Deportation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by UN Special Rapporteur, Elizabeth Salmón, to the UN Human Rights Council in March that "forcibly repatriated individuals are at severe risk of being sent to North Korean political prison camps if they are returned to the North".

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK supports UN Special Rapporteur, Elizabeth Salmón's remarks about the risks faced by forcibly repatriated North Koreans on return to the DPRK. Despite claims by the DPRK that forcibly repatriated refugees are well treated and reintegrated into DPRK society, it is clear from reports that they are often mistreated by the authorities. The UK actively promotes the implementation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. We regularly call on all countries to abide by the principle of non-refoulement.

Cyprus: Roads

Lord Sharkey: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions on the intervention by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in the construction of the road from Pile/Pyla to Yigitler/Arsos in Northern Cyprus they have had with (1) the United Nations, (2) the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, (3) the government of the Republic of Cyprus, (4) the government of Türkiye, and (5) the Turkish Cypriot authorities in Northern Cyprus; and what assessment they have made of this intervention.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has engaged with all parties referenced about recent events in the UN Buffer Zone to encourage de-escalation and support a diplomatic resolution. This included Ministerial-level engagement with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. On 21 August, the UN Security Council issued a Press Statement that condemned the assaults on UN Peacekeepers, expressed concern at the unauthorised construction of the road and reiterated Council support for the United Nations' Peacekeeping mandate. The UK, US and French Embassies in Nicosia issued a similar statement. We have welcomed the subsequent de-escalation, but note that the injuries sustained by three British UN peacekeepers undermines the UN's ability to fulfil its peacekeeping mandate. It is also a reminder that our armed forces regularly put themselves in harm's way to support peace and stability across the globe.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Intelligence Services: Homosexuality

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff within (1) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and (2) the Security Services, were either (a) dismissed, or (b) forced to resign, as a result of bans on homosexuality among serving officers between 1967 and 2000.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office do not hold this information centrally and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Russia: Ukraine

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for security in Europe of the use by the Russian Federation of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The nuclear rhetoric and signalling we continue to see from Russia and President Putin is designed to distract and deter us from supporting Ukraine. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine continues to be a very serious situation but it is not, and should not become, a nuclear crisis. No other country is talking about nuclear use.As the G7 has repeatedly made clear, any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in this conflict would be met with severe consequences. We continue to call on Russia to de-escalate, starting by ceasing its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any members of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative team of experts have been deployed to Sudan or neighbouring countries since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in Sudan must end. While a visit by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts has not been deployed, the UK is taking a range of actions to address the situation. On 14 July, members of the PSVI International Alliance issued a joint statement condemning increasing reports of sexual violence and calling on all parties to stop the violence. The UK has consistently condemned these crimes in other public statements, at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and in diplomatic lobbying. We continue to support the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN partners working with Sudan's Combating Violence Against Women Unit.

Sudan: Arms Trade

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) improve the enforcement of and compliance with the UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, and (2) extend the arms embargo to the whole of Sudan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur was renewed in March 2023, and is due for review by September 2024. The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) will brief the UN Security Council on 13 September ahead of mandate renewal negotiations for which the UK will hold the pen. There is a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan which prevents weapon flows and tackles individuals working against peace. UK sanctions under the Sudan Sanctions (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 provides another tool for holding those to account for violations against peace and stability in Sudan.

World Expo

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bid for the UK to host future Expo events.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are currently no plans for the UK to bid to host a future Expo.

Religious Freedom

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, as Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, to ensure that the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance Ministerial Conference in Prague this November is (1) informed by the experiences of affected communities, and (2) includes freedom of religion or belief experts and representatives from relevant civil society and faith-based organisations.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), Fiona Bruce, is working with Vice Chair of IRFBA, Ambassador Rehak of the Czech Republic, to ensure the Conference in Prague in November is inclusive, well informed by affected communities and includes FoRB experts, representatives from civil society and faith-based organisations. As outlined in our Written Ministerial Statement following the 2022 Conference [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-07-15/hlws204], we continue to build partnerships with civil society focussed on key themes from the Conference, drawing on the convening power of the IRFBA to promote FoRB for all.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Advice and Care Trust

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work conducted by the Prison Advice and Care Trust in England and Wales.

Lord Bellamy: H.M. Prison & Probation Service holds both contracts and grants with the Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) for work they undertake in prisons in England and Wales. Whilst no formal assessment of the work completed by Pact has been undertaken, all contracts and grants are awarded following open and fair competition. Those tendering for contracts or applying for grants (including Pact) are thoroughly assessed against the published criteria including the completion of due diligence checks prior to the awarding of any contract or grant.

Life Imprisonment

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the average time those currently serving mandatory life sentences will spend in prison.

Lord Bellamy: Sentencing is entirely a matter for our independent judiciary. Release from mandatory life sentences is determined by the Parole Board, when the Board is satisfied that detaining the offender is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. While we do not have an estimate of the average time those currently in prison on mandatory life sentences will serve, we do publish average time served, based on release data, on an annual basis. Table below.Mandatory lifeMean time served (years)2002142003152004142005142006142007162008162009172010162011162012162013172014172015(1)17201616201717201817201918202017202117202218 (1) Due to improvements in IT systems, the 2015 prison admissions data is now taken from a different source and, for statistical reporting purposes only, are produced using a different method. The 2015 figures from both the old and new systems have been presented to aid comparison.

Prisons: Buildings

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete within prison buildings in England and Wales.

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to audit all prison buildings constructed between 1950 to 1990 for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete; and, if so, what is their timescale.

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what mitigating actions are in place for prison buildings when the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is detected.

Lord Bellamy: Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.The potential mitigating actions for prison buildings will be to monitor them, prop them up or replace them, in line with Institute of Structural Engineers guidance.

Home Office

Islamic Human Rights Commission

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 11 July (HL8821) and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 4 July (HL8822), whatassessment has been madeby (1) the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, and (2) the Home Office, of the suitability of the Islamic Human Rights Commission and IHRC Legal in light of the official warning of the Charity Commission in relation to the Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Islamic Human Rights Commission Ltd is currently registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). The OISC keeps in close contact with the organisation and audits it regularly.Organisations seeking regulation by the Commissioner are required to abide by the OISC's Guidance on Fitness (Owners). The criteria for assessing fitness include the likelihood of compliance with the OISC's Regulatory Scheme, a history of honesty and legal compliance, as well as a history of financial probity.The OISC is a non-departmental arms’ length body of the Home Office. The Home Office is satisfied that the OISC is undertaking appropriate assessments in relation to the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

Migrant Workers: Hospitality Industry

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the five categories of hospitality workers identified in the Shortage Occupation List will be recognised with further dispensations in the immigration rules.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) considered 5 hospitality occupations in its spring review but did not recommend any be added to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) at that time. There are currently no hospitality jobs on the SOL.Jobs on the SOL get some benefits, principally the ability to recruit with reduced salary and reduced fees for applicants. However, there are no plans to introduce further benefits for these or any other jobs simply by virtue of being on the SOL.The MAC is considering evidence provided in its recent call for evidence and will produce a report advising which jobs should be on the SOL in the autumn.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Lord Knight of Weymouth: To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of shortage occupation skilled worker visa applicants have passed the English language test requirements in the last six months broken down by occupation type.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The requirement to speak English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system – including for occupations on the Shortage Occupation List. All successful applicants for the Skilled Worker visa will have demonstrated they can read, write, speak, and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.Further information on the English language requirement can be found on the .gov webpage overview of the Skilled Worker route, accessible here:www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english

Asylum: Boats

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that asylum seekers housed on a waterborne barge are able to access necessary help in any emergency, including a medical emergency or fire.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: In the Netherlands and Belgium, the authorities have delivered accommodation for asylum seekers on vessels in a safe and secure manner. The Scottish Government have successfully done so for Ukrainian refugees.The welfare of those in our care is of the utmost priority. The Bibby Stockholm successfully completed all fire and safety checks ahead the first individuals boarding. The vessel completed a statutory inspection and refurbishment before undergoing final preparations to accommodate asylum seekers.We have been in liaison with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service to ensure that the safety of the vessel and its occupants are being appropriately managed in line with relevant legislation. Tactical plans, including arrangements for evacuation of residents to assembly areas away from the quayside and outside the gated area, have been developed.The fire safety standards on the Bibby Stockholm are the same as any other berthed vessel and meets the industry standard.In the case of the Bibby Stockholm, there is a log of who is on and off the vessel. During an emergency, our supplier would know who was/was not aboard and would contact any affected individuals. Our supplier would stay in constant touch with local law enforcement. In the event of a prolonged incident, and if there was a requirement to provide emergency accommodation, the supplier would find a room and direct the person to the accommodation, arranging local taxi transport if required.Facilities onboard the vessel will be designed to provide for the essential needs of those accommodated in order to minimise the impact on local communities and local services. This includes the provision of primary healthcare, catering facilities and 24/7 security. The vessel’s 24/7 security team have established procedures for working with local police and emergency services.The medical facility on the barge will be staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.This team will provide care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).Medical provision will include:a qualified senior health professional, such as an advanced nurse practitioner or a paramedic on site 5 days per week - 9am-5pma GP onsite (one day per week) 9am-5pmremote access to GP consultations when onsite care is unavailable or needs additional supportaccess to translation services is in place and this has been shared with local servicesany prescribed medicines will be transported to the vessel for the asylum seekersHome Office is providing funding to the NHS to support on-site primary health service, to help reduce the impact on NHS services.

Asylum: Children

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their current policy to place unaccompanied children seeking asylum, who are waiting for placement with a local authority, in hotels; and, if so, how many are placed in hotels.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Hotel accommodation is a temporary means to accommodate the increased number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving and is only ever a contingency option, not a long-term solution.The high number of UASC arrivals, particularly as a result of small boat crossings, has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme. Out of necessity we accommodated UASC on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels while placements with local authorities have been vigorously pursued. The High Court recently ruled that the routine and systematic use of hotels to accommodate UASC is unlawful, and we are working at pace with Kent County Council, other government departments and local authorities across the UK to ensure suitable local authority placements are provided for unaccompanied children urgently and sustainably.We provided local authorities with children’s services £15,000 for every eligible young person taken into their care from a Home Office-run hotel dedicated to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children or the Kent Reception and Safe Care Service by the end of February 2023. As a result of incentivised funding, we were able to temporarily reduce the number of unaccompanied children accommodated in hotels to zero. This was the second funding pilot run by the Home Office in 2022/23 to help local authorities invest in longer term infrastructure for accommodating and supporting unaccompanied children. Ending the use of hotels for UASC is an absolute priority and we will continue to work around the clock with councils to increase the number of care placements available.The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements they will make for delegations of parliamentarians to visit the Bibby Stockholm and any other new accommodation for migrants.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: If parliamentarians wish to visit a facility they should make a request through the normal Home Office channels.Vessels have been used in Germany, Belgium and Scotland.

Ports: Import Controls

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what physical checks and customs requirements currently take place for goods from the EU directly entering ports in Great Britain.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Border Force is committed to enforcing customs controls on goods from the EU and to detecting those who would attempt to evade controls.Border Force deploys to risk using tested, but continually assessed, intelligence and targeting techniques. Border Force does not publish information relating to the number of physical checks carried out. Doing so would publicise operational practices which would be used to assist in the evasion of customs controls and compromise Border security.

Refugees: Diplomatic Service

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of risk facing refugees who are resident in the UK who encounter difficulties abroad; and what plans they have to ensure they receive consular assistance at the same level as UK citizens.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Government provides consular assistance to British nationals travelling or living abroad.We may also help Commonwealth nationals in non-Commonwealth countries where they do not have any diplomatic or consular representation. We cannot help other nationalities, even if they live in the UK or have close connections to the UK.

Illegal Migration Act 2023

Earl Russell: To ask His Majesty's Government what powers contained in the Illegal Migration Act 2023 they have used to date.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Illegal Migration Act received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023.The bans on re-entry, settlement or citizenship to people who come to the UK illegally came into force from Royal Assent.As is standard practice for any legislation, commencement of wider measures in the Act will take place over the coming months.

Asylum: Finance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements they will put in place to ensure Aspen card holding asylum seekers can exchange a payment from their cards for any goods they require.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Arrangements are already in place to ensure destitute asylum seekers can buy goods that they require to meet their essential living needs. Asylum seekers who are assessed as destitute under Section 95 are provided with a weekly allowance which is loaded on to a debit card (ASPEN card). ASPEN cards can be used to pay for retail transactions at most shops displaying the Mastercard logo, up to the value of the available balance. They can also be used to check available balances at cash machines, to withdraw cash from cash machines and to get cash back when purchasing items at Mastercard participating shops. ASPEN cards cannot be used to make contactless, telephone or internet payments and the card cannot be used overseas.Failed Asylum Seekers who are assessed as destitute under Section 4 will not be able use their card to withdraw cash from a machine or get cashback from shops.As part of normal service, anyone experiencing issues in relation to their ASPEN payment card can report them to our Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) provider, Migrant Help, 24 hours a day on the freephone number.

Slavery

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 on the operation of the UK’s modern slavery provisions (1) in prisons, and (2) across the wider population.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: “The Government assessed the Impact of Section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Bill (now Act) prior to Royal Assent and will continue to assess its impact going forward. The published Impact Assessments for the Nationality and Borders Bill, including the impact of Section 63, can be found here:Equalities Impact Assessment: Nationality and Borders Bill: Equality Impact Assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk)Economic Impact Assessment: Impact Assessment (parliament.uk)”Nationality and Borders Bill: Equality Impact  (pdf, 200.9KB) Economic Impact Assessment (pdf, 942.7KB)

Asylum: Rwanda

Earl Russell: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost payable to the government of Rwanda under the agreement with that country in the event that no migrants are sent there from the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The UK has provided Rwanda with an initial investment of £120m into its economic development and growth as part of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF). Investment has been focused in areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, and job creation. A separate advance payment of £20m was also paid last year to support initial set up costs for the relocation of individuals.Funding will also be provided to support the delivery of asylum operations, accommodation, and integration in Rwanda. Costs and payments will depend on the number of individuals relocated, the timing of when this happens, and the outcomes of individual cases. We will not enter into speculation as to what the final costs of the partnership may be nor provide a running commentary.Legal proceedings are ongoing, and we have been granted permission to appeal to the Supreme Court with a hearing scheduled to take place in October. We always knew that our policy was ambitious and novel, and that it would be tested in the courts, but we have also been clear we are committed to this partnership and will continue to robustly defend this policy so we can make it a reality.

Asylum: Children

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 20 July (HL9141), why they do not hold records that would enable them to answer parliamentary questions on the age of the youngest unaccompanied child seeking asylum that has been placed in a hotel.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: We take the safety and welfare of those in our care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, extremely seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.No individuals, apart from the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, are residing at any of the hotels ring-fenced for children.Children are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.All individuals working directly with the young people accommodated at the hotels have Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and all those working and operating on the hotel sites have DBS clearance. The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) found that the young people accommodated at the hotels unanimously reported feeling happy and safe.We do hold records however, the data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.

Asylum: Boats

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that families of asylum seekers housed on a waterborne barge will be kept together.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Bibby Stockholm will provide non-detained accommodation for single adult male asylum seekers aged 18 to 65 who would otherwise be destitute. No families will be housed aboard.The cohort of single adult males has been agreed with local authorities and health partners to mitigate the burden on local public services, for example local schools and health services.

Passports: Children

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 17 July (HL9008), how many times in 2022the Passport Office asked (1) male, and (2) female, parents renewing their child’s passport to provide documentation proving custody, or a written letter of authorisation from the other parent before issuing the passport.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: HM Passport Office is unable to provide the information requested as it is not held in a reportable format.

Visas: Ministers of Religion

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 20 July (HL8823), what steps, if any, they will take to inform parliamentarians of the conclusion of the review into UK visas being granted to such high risk individuals; andwhether theywill facilitate broader parliamentary scrutiny of this matter.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: As stated in my previous response, for national security reasons it would not be appropriate to disclose the criteria by which high risk individuals are identified or the basis of any review of these criteria.

Police Custody: Travellers

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether those who identify as (1) Gypsy, (2) Roma, or (3) Traveller, in custody have any special needs recognised.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Data on people detained in police custody was published for the first time in November 2022, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-other-pace-powers-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2022.For the year ending March 2023 the Home Office collected ethnicity data from forces using the 2021 Census categories, which includes the ‘Gypsy and Irish traveller’ and ‘Roma’ groups.In addition, for the year ending March 2022 data, information was published on the ethnicity of people detained in custody and separately on whether a person was considered vulnerable and whether an appropriate adult was called. As this was the first year the data was collected the statistics were still in development and therefore an ethnic breakdown of vulnerable adults in custody was not published. Home Office analysts will assess the quality of the data collected for the year ending March 2023 and depending on the outcome will publish this breakdown as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Other PACE bulletin’, which is scheduled for release in November/December 2023, as pre-announced on Gov.uk, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/police-powers-and-procedures-other-pace-powers-england-and-wales-year-ending-march-2023.Police custody officers should carry out an assessment of the risk and vulnerability of everyone in custody, on an individual basis. This assessment should take into account the person’s behaviour, any signs of illness or injury, their communication, including information from all available sources and the circumstances and environment in which they were found.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Carbon Emissions

Lord Redesdale: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations of the report by Zero Hour, Net Zero: The Ambition Gap,published on 10 August 2022.

Lord Callanan: The Government welcomes independent recommendations to help limit global warming to 1.5C and to reach net zero. The Government has set ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2050, has overachieved on Carbon Budgets one and two, and is on track to deliver Carbon Budget three. The Climate Change Committee has stated that their confidence in the UK meeting Carbon Budget four has increased in the last year.

Drax Power Station

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 27 July (HL9538), in what ways was the Panorama on Drax (1) accurate, and (2) inaccurate, in its representation of practices by the forestry and biomass sector.

Lord Callanan: After speaking to Canadian experts and reviewing various sources of information about forestry and harvesting in Canada and British Columbia, officials advised that the Panorama programme presented a useful overview of forestry and biomass practices. They advise that the narrative would have benefited from a fuller picture about how harvesting decisions are made in practice, more detail on the operation of the harvest licensing regime, more clarity on how the grading system is used for wood products and biomass materials, and clearer evidence supporting claims about the use of wood pellets in the UK.

Carbon Emissions

Lord Redesdale: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to align their carbon emission reduction plans with the UK's proportionate share of the remaining global carbon budget for limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Lord Callanan: The Government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan is a dynamic long-term plan, setting a course to reach net zero by 2050. The Plan demonstrates the UK's commitment to play a leading role in tackling climate change, with a domestic target and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) both consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goal to limit global warming to well below 2°C and pursue efforts towards 1.5°C. The UK over-achieved against the first and second carbon budgets, and latest projections show that the UK is on track to meet the third.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Lord Whitty: To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to their targets for decarbonisation by (1) 2030, and (2) 2035, what approximate proportion of homes they estimate are likely to be powered by (a) hydrogen-based gas, (b) air or ground source heat pumps, and (c) by other forms of electrification.

Lord Callanan: A range of technologies will be required to decarbonise the way we heat our homes. The precise mix of technologies in 2035 is unclear, in part because strategic decisions on the role for hydrogen heating are still to be taken. Heat Pumps and Heat Networks will have an important role to play in all future scenarios with at least 7.1 million homes using heat pumps in 2035.

Renewable Energy

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe estimated full unit cost of (1) energy produced from various carbon fuels utilising carbon capture and storage, and (2) energy produced by various renewable means.

Lord Callanan: The Government regularly publishes its view of the levelised cost of generating a unit of electricity from various technologies, including renewables and gas-fired power generation with CCUS, in the Electricity generation costs report which was updated in 2023.

Drax Group: Publications

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the annual ‘limited assurance’ report commissioned by Drax provides an adequate and appropriate level of assurance with respect to the accuracy of its sustainability data.

Lord Callanan: Government has made no such assessment. Generating stations, including Drax, must provide an annual independent sustainability audit report to Ofgem, not to Government, to verify the information it reports each month. Ofgem may conduct a compliance investigation to establish whether a generator is in breach of its sustainability reporting requirements relating to the Renewables Obligations scheme if there is reason to suspect non-compliance.

Energy Bills Rebate

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, toreintroduce a £400 energy bill rebate to help households cope with rising energy costs and the increased cost of living.

Lord Callanan: The Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) delivered a £400 non-repayable government discount on electricity bills to help 28 million households across the UK in winter 2022/23. Since then, the government welcomes recent reductions to household energy bills but is continuing to closely monitor energy prices and keeping energy support schemes under review. To protect the most vulnerable, the government is providing a cost-of-living payment of £900 paid across three instalments through 2023/24 with an additional £300 for pensioner households and £150 for those on an eligible disability benefit. This is an increase from the £650 cost-of-living payment the government provided in 2022-23.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Diagnosis

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support research into the development of new, scalable diagnostic tests for dementia; and what assessment they have of the current proportion of patients receiving an accurate dementia diagnosis that includes a specialist diagnosis of the sub-type of dementia.

Lord Markham: Government responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).The NIHR and has invested nearly £11 million to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia. The NIHR-funded SABRE study aims to translate the diagnostic capability of spatial tests into routine clinical practice for use in ageing populations to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease.Through the UKRI-funded UK Dementia Research Institute, scientists are undertaking research on the biological mechanisms of dementia, driving early-stage development of diagnostics and treatments, and developing innovative technologies for assisted living.From April 2023, NHS England started collecting data on dementia sub types from GP systems under the following categories: Alzheimer’s, Vascular, Mixed and Other. This was included in the monthly publication of Primary Care Dementia Data from 20 July 2023.

Department for Business and Trade

University of Cambridge: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the export control criteria used by the UK Trade and Investment Office following reports that it approved a partnership between the University of Cambridge and a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned military technology company that does an estimated 60 per cent of its business with the Chinese military, which reportedly involved the appointment of a former Chinese Communist Party politician to the university's partnership programme.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is responsible for licensing the export and transfer of controlled goods and technology, including where this occurs through academic collaboration. The ECJU has no record of having granted an export licence for the University of Cambridge with the Beijing Institute of Aerospace Control Devices. HM Government is committed to maintaining a robust and transparent export control regime. The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, introduced in 2021, continue to provide a thorough risk assessment framework for assessing all export licence applications, including those relating to academic collaboration. If the ECJU were presented with credible evidence of a breach of export controls, we would take these allegations seriously. We will not support collaborations which compromise our national security.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Parks and Playgrounds

Earl Russell: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make longer-term and consistent funding available to local authorities for park and playground provision, particularly smaller play spaces in more deprived areas.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £5.1 billion or 9.4% in cash terms on 2022/23. This boost in funding demonstrates how Government stands behind councils up and down the country. The majority of the funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities. On top of this, the £9 million UK-wide Levelling Up Parks Fund has provided specific funding to deliver improved green spaces in communities with the lowest access and a further £30 million will be provided to overhaul 30 local parks in England with a focus on improving facilities for young families.

Electric Vehicles: Parking

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made to ensure the safety of multi-storey car parks given the increasing number of heavy electric vehicles.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Responsibility for the safety of a building and its occupants rests with building owners and is covered by Occupiers Liability and Health and Safety legislation. A building designed to carry vehicles on multiple levels will have an engineered load bearing capacity; it is the responsibility of the building owner to ensure that operational weight limits take into account the type or structural condition of the building and its capacity to support vehicles. The standards used for the structural design of buildings (Eurocodes) and referred to in the statutory guidance to the Building Regulations with regards to structural safety (Approved Document A) are currently under review by a panel of international experts. We expect the review of these standards to include considerations associated with electrical vehicles.

Ministry of Defence

Cyprus: Military Bases

Lord Sharkey: To ask His Majesty's Government what difficulties have been reported in honouring the pension entitlements of Turkish Cypriot former employees of the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, or the widows of those employees, now living in Northern Cyprus.

Baroness Goldie: There are currently no outstanding issues reported in honoring the occupational pension entitlements of Turkish Cypriot former employees of the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, or the widows of those employees, now living in the north of Cyprus.

Veterans: LGBT+ People

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to accept the recommendation in the report by Lord Etherton LGBT Veterans Independent Review, published on 19 July 2023,to establish a scheme to compensate those who lost their jobs in the armed services between 1967 and 2000 as a result of the discrimination against LGBTQ+ people; and what plans they have to extend or replicate the scheme for former employees of (1) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and (2) the Security Services, who similarly lost their jobs as a result of the ban on homosexuality for serving officers.

Baroness Goldie: Lord Etherton has concluded his independent review and submitted his report and recommendations to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs in the Cabinet Office. The Government will now consider the report and recommendations and decide which Departments are best placed to take action. Defence is committed to responding in full in due course after giving the report due consideration, as per the terms of reference. Defence has accepted the recommendation of a financial award, noting that such schemes take time to establish. Further detail on eligibility will be included in the full response.   Any consideration of compensation, or decision to mirror any arrangements which Defence may put in place, for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Security Services staff dismissed due to their sexuality is a matter for the FCDO and Home Office to consider.

Warrior Vehicles

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to remanufacturing the hulls of the Warrior armoured fighting vehicles in order to overcome the problem of cracking in highly stressed areas.

Baroness Goldie: There is no requirement for new hulls as the existing fleet of Warrior armoured fighting vehicles can be refurbished, as required, to a standard suitable for the needs of Defence. Procuring new hulls would also not present the optimum Value for Money solution when compared to maintaining the existing fleet.

Defence and National Security: Climate Change

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: To ask His Majesty's Government what, if any, mitigating actions they are taking to protect key (1) defence, and (2) national security, sites across the UK from the effects of climate change.

Baroness Goldie: A key objective of the Strategy for Defence Infrastructure, published in Jan 2022, is to ensure the estate is resilient to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change. The Department has an established site level bespoke Climate Impact Risk Assessment Methodology to identify and assess vulnerabilities, and to drive local mitigation and adaptation. To date, over 200 military bases have been assessed including all of Defence’s Critical National Infrastructure sites. The Department will publish its strategic Estate Climate Resilience Plan (ECRP) in 2024, which will further build on the programme of these assessments.

Department for Transport

Ferries: Isles of Scilly

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Harland and Wolff that they intend to submit a bid to the Council of the Isles of Scilly to compete with the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company for the conditional offer of £48 million from the Levelling Up Fund to the Council for the purchase and operation of new vessels, whether they plan to instruct the Council, if it wishes to proceed with the funding offer, to seek expressions of interest followed by tenders from these companies and other reputable operators.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Levelling Up Fund grant to the Council of the Isles of Scilly is dependent upon obtaining an approved compliant full business case for replacement vessels and harbour works. The council, is considering its options, including an open procurement process through the publication of a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to seek other interested parties. It would be inappropriate for the DfT to comment on the council’s approach at this stage.

Railway Stations: Tickets

Baroness Grey-Thompson: To ask His Majesty's Government which disability and accessibility groups they consulted before launching the consultation on proposed closures torail ticket offices.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In partnership with industry, the Rail Minister and department officials held roundtables with industry and accessibility stakeholders and passenger representative groups on 6 June and 18 July 2023 to discuss potential reforms. Over 20 different organisations were represented at the different roundtables. Through the industry-led Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process train operating companies have put forward proposals to change the opening hours or closure of station ticket offices and recently consulted on these. The consultation closed on 1 September and the independent passenger bodies, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, are currently assessing the proposals and consultation responses. We expect train operators to work collaboratively with the passenger bodies in the coming weeks, to listen to the concerns raised and to refine their proposals accordingly. The Department continues to engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and other accessibility and transport groups.

National Maritime Information Centre

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Maritime Information Centre shares all intelligence data with the government departments and agencies involved.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) is an integral part of the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) and not a separate entity. The JMSC is responsible for providing Maritime Domain Awareness and Understanding to all of government and UK law enforcement: this is underpinned by the Royal Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness Programme which provides the essential data layer to JMSC.

High Speed 2 Line: Compensation

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government on how many plots and over what area HS2 Phase One property owners have requested advanced payment of compensation.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government on howmany plots and over what area HS2 Phase One property owners have received the 90 per cent payment of the HS2 Ltd estimated value; and what is total cost of those 90 per cent payments.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government onhow many plots and over what area HS2 Phase One property owners have received full and final settlement; and what is the total cost of those full and final settlements.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government on howmany plots and over what area HS2 Phase One property owners are in dispute with regard to the HS2 Ltd estimated value for severance and injurious affection; and what is the estimated liabilities to settle those disputes.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government does not hold the requested information. Collecting and providing this information would require HS2 Ltd to interrogate every plot of land and advance purchase payment across thousands of files, which could not be done within a reasonable cost and timeframe.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Health and Technology: Research

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to develop the skills in the UK to translate research outcomes into real-world applications, particularly in the fields of health and technology, (2) to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in this area, and (3) to enhance the availability of specialized training and skill development programmes that cater to the needs of researchers and professionals engaged in translating research into commercial applications.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to ensuring research is translated into real-world impact. For example, providing over £100 million over the next three years for Impact Acceleration Accounts and £37.5 million this year for translating medical research through the Medical Research Council’s Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme. Government is providing £350 million for technology missions to translate research into transformative applications across four critical technologies and investing £65 million in an interdisciplinary research call. Through Research England’s £280 million Higher Education Innovation Fund and its Connecting Capabilities Fund, Government is funding skills development, including entrepreneurship training, for researchers and commercialisation professionals.

Horizon Europe

Earl Russell: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the cause of the delay in agreeing a deal for the UK’s return to the EU’s Horizon science research programme; and when a resolution is expected.

Viscount Camrose: On 7th September, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would associate to Horizon Europe. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest and UK scientists can participate confidently in Horizon Europe, the world’s largest programme of research cooperation.

University of Cambridge: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with the University of Cambridge about its links with a Chinese state-owned military technology firm whose parent company produces missiles, weapons systems and drones.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe partnership between the University of Cambridge and a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned military technology company which has sold the CH-4 drone to the Myanmar military junta.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is clear that universities must operate within the law, and is committed to supporting UK research institutions to engage with Chinese companies in a way that reflects the UK’s values and takes account of national security concerns.  As part of our proactive engagement with academia, the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology provides the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) to give advice to all universities, including the University of Cambridge, on national security risks in international collaborations. RCAT promotes greater understanding about the UK’s security policies and regulations, and has provided tailored advice on many complex issues which have resulted in targeted mitigations of national security concerns.

Treasury

Bank of England: Forecasts

Lord Strathcarron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Bank of England’s financial forecasting record; and what steps, if any, they plan to take to improve the Bank’s forecasting.

Baroness Penn: The Bank of England has statutory responsibilities for monetary policy and financial stability, and operational independence from the Government to carry out those responsibilities. The Government remains fully committed to the Bank’s independence. The Court of the Bank of England has commissioned the Bank’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) to review the Bank’s forecasting, and related processes. It will be led by Dr Ben Bernanke. The review began this summer and is expected to publish its findings in spring 2024.

Bank Services: Closures

Lord Hacking: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Penn on 19 July (HL Deb col 2319), whether their "plans for enhanced requirements applying to the termination of payment accounts" will include a requirement for banks to give customers sufficient reasons about the termination of an account whatever may be its terms and conditions.

Baroness Penn: The Government published its policy statement on 21 July, setting out its plans to strengthen requirements relating to payment account contract terminations. These changes will increase the minimum notice period in cases of contract termination to 90 days – giving customers more time to challenge a decision through the Financial Ombudsman Service, or find a replacement bank. Banks will also be required to spell out to the affected customer why they are terminating their account – increasing transparency and aiding customers’ ability to appeal decisions. This requirement will be subject to limited exceptions where firms need to comply with existing legal obligations, for example, under financial crime law.The Treasury is working closely with industry, law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that expectations regarding these new requirements are clear.

Child Care: VAT Zero Rating

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the average expenditure on VAT by private, voluntary and independent childcare providers, and (2) the cost to the Treasury of zero-rating those childcare providers.

Baroness Penn: VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. Ofsted-registered nurseries and childcare providers are exempt from VAT. This means they do not have to charge VAT to their customers, but it also means they cannot recover the VAT they incur on the things they buy. We do not hold data on irrecoverable VAT expenditure as businesses are not required to report this information to HMRC in their VAT returns. While we keep all taxes under review there are no plans to make changes to the VAT exemption which nurseries currently enjoy. Representations on changes to the VAT system will be considered through the normal fiscal event process.

Banks: Closures

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions are in place to support customers in the event of a rural bank closure with no bank branch available within three miles.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey plan to take, if any,to set up a rural banking hub to avoid a lack of banking provision within ten miles.

Baroness Penn: Decisions on opening and closing branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis, which it would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene in. Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sets out its expectation of firms when closing a branch; they must carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This will ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly. An alternative for those who prefer to conduct their everyday banking face-to-face is the Post Office, which enables customers to carry this out at 11,500 post offices across the UK. The Post Office is required by the Department for Business and Trade to ensure that 95% of the total rural population across the UK to be within 3 miles of their nearest Post Office outlet. New shared Banking Hubs are also being introduced providing cash and basic banking services, and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank. Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office. Decisions regarding the operation and location of Banking Hubs are taken by the parties involved. Regarding access to cash, the government legislated to protect access to cash services through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. Following this, the government recently published a policy statement. This included setting the government’s current understanding that the vast majority of people in predominately rural areas have access to cash within 3 miles of where they live, while the vast majority of people in predominately urban areas have access to cash within 1 mile of where they live. This is based on FCA analysis and concerns access to cash services in general rather than bank branches. The policy statement sets out that the FCA, as responsible regulator, should seek to maintain this distribution of cash access services, while recognising that cash needs may differ by location and change over time. The government’s policy statement is available on gov.uk.

National Income

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer byBaroness Penn on 6 July (HL Deb col 1304) giving the relative gross domestic product (GDP) per head for Wales and the UK, what is the relative GDP per head for each region of England.

Baroness Penn: The latest data published by the Office for National Statistics shows that in 2021, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head, at current prices, was £25,665 for Wales, and £33,745 for the UK. The GDP per head for London (£59,855) and the South East (£36,174) was higher than the UK average. GDP per head in the North East (£24,575), the East Midlands (£27,505), the Yorkshire and the Humber (£27,692), the South West (£29,628), the North West (£29,681), and the East of England (£30,442), was lower than the UK average.

Cabinet Office

Mesothelioma: Death

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people died of mesothelioma in each of the five years up to December 2022.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority. The Baroness Hodgson of Abinger CBEHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW08 September 2023 Dear Lady Hodgson, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people died of mesothelioma in each of the five years up to December 2022 (HL9787). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales [1]. Information for Scotland [2] and Northern Ireland [3] is available from National Records of Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency respectively. Causes mentioned on the death certificate are converted to International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) codes, with the underlying cause of death defined as the disease or injury that initiated the events that directly lead to the death. The ICD-10 code for mesothelioma is C45, which comes under Chapter 2: Neoplasms [4]. Table 1 provides a breakdown of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in each year between 2017 and 2022 where the underlying cause of death was mesothelioma. Age-standardised mortality rates have been provided to allow comparisons between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond Table 1: Number of deaths and age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) due to mesothelioma in England and Wales, registered 2017 to 2022 [5][6][7][8][9] YearNumber of deathsASMRs20172,2794.220182,1433.820192,1743.820202,2313.920211,9413.320221,9263.2Source: Office for National Statistics [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/[2] https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths[3] https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/births-deaths-and-marriages/deaths[4] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/methodologies/userguidetomortalitystatisticsjuly2017[5] Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each period.[6] Figures include the deaths of usual residents of England and Wales as well as those of nonresidents.[7] Based on deaths where mesothelioma (ICD-10 code C45) was the underlying cause of death.[8] Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 people, standardised to the 2013 European Standard Population.[9] Number of deaths and age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) due to mesothelioma can be provided at a lower geographic area such as region upon request. UK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 124.0KB)

Honours

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to reform the right of a Prime Minister who has served for a short period to submit a resignation honours list.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: It is a long-standing convention that outgoing Prime Ministers can draw up a ‘Dissolution’ or ‘Resignation’ List. This has been the case under past governments from across the political spectrum. This convention has been the case throughout the 20th Century, originating in the 19th Century.

Public Bodies: Cybersecurity

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the data breach at the Electoral Commission, what plans they have to review the effectiveness of cyber defences of the Government's own technology platforms and those of other public bodies.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government Cyber Security Strategy published last year sets out our plans to significantly harden the Government’s critical functions against cyber attack by 2025, with all organisations across the public sector being resilient to known vulnerabilities by 2030.We have already made significant progress against the strategy. Earlier this year the Government launched GovAssure, the new cyber security assurance process for government organisations. Under GovAssure, government organisations will regularly review the effectiveness of their cyber defences against common cyber vulnerabilities and attack methods. GovAssure will enable government organisations to accurately assess their levels of cyber resilience across their critical services, highlight priority areas for improvement and provide the Government with a strategic view of cyber capability, risk and resilience across the sector.The Electoral Commission is independent of Government and is accountable to Parliament through the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission. However, we have supported the Commission via the National Cyber Security Centre, who have provided the Commission with expert advice and support to aid their recovery after the cyber incident was first identified.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce additional legislation to protect (1) the UK internal market, and (2) Northern Ireland goods moving to Great Britain with unfettered access; and to outline the proposed timescale for such legislation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We have guaranteed unfettered access for qualifying Northern Ireland goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and will extend these protections to qualifying goods moved via Ireland. Additionally, we will introduce new arrangements for traders moving food and feed on these routes, ensuring the benefits of unfettered access are more squarely focussed on Northern Ireland traders, while creating no new requirements. Details of these arrangements can be found in the Border Target Operating Model published on 29 August 2023. This reflects Northern Ireland’s integral place in the United Kingdom’s internal market.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support farmers experiencing seasonal worker shortages.

Lord Benyon: Defra continues to speak regularly with the sector and other government departments to understand labour supply and demand, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements, and to make sure that these requirements are understood across government. The Government recognises the importance of a reliable source of seasonal labour for crop production, and that it is a key part of bringing in the harvest for the horticultural sector. A key source of seasonal labour is the Seasonal Worker visa route, which allows a pre-defined number of overseas workers to come to the United Kingdom for up to six months to support horticulture growers during peak production periods, whilst maintaining robust immigration control. To reduce the risk of seasonal labour shortages in horticulture, in December 2022, the Government announced that an allocation of 45,000 Seasonal Worker visas will be made available in 2023. This is an uplift of 15,000 visas compared to the allocation at the start of 2022. The Government confirmed at the Food Summit on 16 May that the number of Seasonal Workers visas available in 2024 for horticulture will again be 45,000. A further 2,000 visas are available for seasonal poultry workers to help manage pre-Christmas demand.A further 10,000 visas are potentially available for horticulture should there be demand and contingent on sponsors and growers continuing to improve worker welfare standards. There are visas available in this year’s allocation and businesses should contact one of the scheme operators if they need seasonal workers. There are currently six scheme operators for horticulture and two for poultry as follows: Agri-HR (horticulture)Concordia (horticulture)Ethero (horticulture)Fruitful Jobs (horticulture)HOPS (horticulture)Pro-Force Ltd (horticulture and poultry)RE Recruitment (poultry) To inform future decisions on labour across the sector, Defra also commissioned John Shropshire to carry out an Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain throughout 2022 and 2023, considering how automation, domestic labour and migrant labour could contribute to tackling labour shortages in our sectors, including horticulture. This report was published on 30 June 2023 and the government response – which will also be informed by the Review of Automation in Horticulture – is expected to be published in autumn 2023. At the same time as the response, the Government will set out how it will support the sector to access the labour it needs alongside actions to reduce the sector’s reliance on migrant labour, including via our work on automation and promoting domestic labour procurement and training.

Farming Investment Fund

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon on 24 July (HL9373), how much has been paid out as part of the Farming Investment Fund.

Lord Benyon: The Farming Investment Fund (FIF) provides grants to farmers, foresters and growers (including contractors) to invest in the equipment, technology and infrastructure that will help their businesses grow, whilst increasing farm productivity and environmental sustainability. We have paid out over £46 million to date. This includes smaller value grants towards a specified list of items proven to be effective in raising farm productivity alongside environmental sustainability and animal health and welfare outcomes. It also includes larger grants run on a more flexible model where applicants are making higher-value investments for more significant infrastructure and equipment that is transformative to their farm businesses such as on-farm reservoirs, slurry storage and automation and robotics.

UK Trade with EU: Veterinary Medicine

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government whya qualified veterinary surgeonmust sign off each consignment of Quorn for export to the EU, given that that product contains no meat or dairy content.

Lord Benyon: Quorn products containing no animal component would not require an export health certificate (EHC) for import into the EU. Quorn products that contain egg-based ingredients will require an EHC for entry into the EU. EU law (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692) requires imports of animal products including products containing egg or egg product to be accompanied by an EU EHC that must be signed by an official veterinarian of the competent authority of the exporting third country, guaranteeing that the conditions for entry into the EU have been met.

Food Banks: Allergies

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe effect on the volume of food donated to food banks arising from "Natasha’s Law" regarding food labelling, which requires allergen labelling on pre-packaged direct sale food.

Lord Benyon: The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.This was strengthened, for food that is sold prepacked for direct sale, with the introduction of Natasha’s Law in 2021.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently conducted an evaluation of the impact of the law. During the evaluation, the FSA spoke to stakeholders including food businesses.While the evaluation did not focus specifically on food redistribution, it did offer stakeholders the opportunity to discuss their experiences implementing the new law broadly. There was no significant evidence provided in respect of impact on food donations. However, we are clear that, irrespective of how food is distributed, whether for sale or provided free, consumer safety must remain the priority.Defra and the FSA have worked with WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to produce comprehensive guidance on surplus food redistribution to help businesses and charities safely and efficiently redistribute surplus and prevent good food going to waste.The FSA continues to engage with stakeholders regarding the impact of Natasha's Law, to ensure any issues are identified and resolved.

Food: UK Trade with EU

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any changes to labelling requirements for food products being exported from the UK to the EU are currently scheduled; and if so what they are.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what labelling is currently required for food products travelling from the UK to the EU.

Lord Benyon: The labelling requirements for food placed on the markets of each EU Member State should be available from each of those countries’ relevant competent authorities. Companies can also find information from the European Commission on food labelling rules in the EU on the European Commission’s website.

Sustainable Farming Incentive

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact on farmers of delays to Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) payments; and what plans they have to rectify the delay.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have to pause the phasing out of existing farm payments until Sustainable Farming Incentive payments are in place.

Lord Benyon: The Government has no plans to pause the phasing out of Basic Payment Scheme payments. Our priority is to roll out Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in a way that ensures the service works as straightforwardly as possible for all our customers and aligns with the closing date for Countryside Stewardship. The SFI 2023 scheme has been expanded and made more flexible in response to farmers’ feedback. There are 23 actions on offer under the new and improved 2023 scheme, including on soil health, moorland, hedgerows, integrated pest management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland. The scheme will open for applications from 18 September. Before then farmers can contact the Rural Payments Agency to join the thousands of farm businesses that have already expressed their interest in applying. Recently, we have run an extensive communications and engagement programme with farmers and farming organisations, including through webinars and our presence at agricultural shows. This has enabled us to promote the options available to farmers and feedback is of increased awareness and interest in what is on offer. Information on the scheme is available in one handbook and on 10 August we published voluntary ‘How to Guidance’ which farmers can follow if helpful for them. We know that applicants to date have welcomed the simple, automated online application process which again will support uptake in the coming months. We know the importance of getting agreements and payments out as quickly as possible, which is why we’ll be working to get as many people as possible on board as quickly as possible after 18 September. What is more, in recognition of the challenges faced with inflation and rising input costs, the Government has confirmed farmers will receive a payment in the first month of their SFI 2023 agreement to help with cashflow. We remain committed to our target of 70% of farms and farmland being in schemes by 2028.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Charity Commission: Public Appointments

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government how longis the term ofoffice of the chair of the Charity Commission.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Chairman of the Charity Commission for England & Wales, Orlando Fraser KC, was appointed for a three-year term commencing on 25 April 2022 and ending on 24 April 2025. Ministers have the authority to reappoint the Chairman for a second term in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

South Korea: Scouts and Guides

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with Scouts UK in regards to providing financial support towards the £1 million cost of relocating the UK Contingent from the site of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government is in regular contact with the Scout Association about the incidents that occurred during the World Scout Jamboree.HM Government has provided significant support in recent years to uniformed youth organisations, including the Scouts. This includes over £16 million so that uniformed youth organisations can recruit more volunteers, tackle waiting lists, and increase the locations able to offer positive activities to young people.This forms part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home, and opportunities to volunteer. This is supported by a three-year investment of over £500 million in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending with a firm focus on levelling up.

Northern Ireland Office

Companies: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government which Northern Ireland based companies relocated from Great Britain in the last four years.

Lord Caine: The requested statistics are unavailable as there is no register of UK “businesses.”There is no mechanism to relocate a UK limited company between jurisdictions. A company must maintain a registered office in the part of the UK in which it was originally incorporated. It is in this jurisdiction that the company remains legally domiciled regardless of where in the UK it might carry out its business activities. To relocate a limited company a new entity would need to be formed and the previous entity closed. No connection between the two would be recorded on the Register of Companies.